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HONLEY: Honley Congregational Church History up to 1868.

HONLEY: Honley Congregational Church History up to 1868.

HONLEY,* (NOW CONGREGATIONAL.)

The removal from Huddersfield of the Rev. H. Venn, especially when he was followed by a successor so unlike himself, was the cause of grievous distress to all who had attended on his ministry, and ultimately led to the formation of many societies, who obtained the aid of occasional preachers. Such was the origin of the congregation at Honley.

Honley had enjoyed, before 1662, the ministry of Rev. David Drury, a man (as Calamy says) "eminent for piety and for his gift in prayer." His successor in the church was a man who in his dying hours confessed himself to be destitute of all religion. This acknowledgment was made to O. Heywood,

under whose former preaching at Honley this clergyman had been much impressed, and he now lamented that he had taken up the ministry for a livelihood, and was an unconverted and debauched man. Heywood spoke to him earnestly and prayed with him, but with the conviction that "profane preachers are the most unlikely to be wrought upon." He then left him; he had travelled eight miles over bad roads to visit him. Before he could repeat his visit the man had died, without sign of penitence.

After Venn's removal, the pious people of Honley worshipped for a time under the ministry of the Rev. W. Moorhouse, of Huddersfield. About 1795, however, the Rev. George Richardson, having then resigned his charge at Peniston, was invited to Honley, and preached during the feast-week at the house of Mr. Benj. Littlewood. A congregation was thus begun, and soon a chapel arose on a site presented by Mr. L. It was opened July 31, 1795, with sermons by Revs. E. Parsons (Leeds), and Joseph Cockin (who was a native of Honley, and had taken great interest in the preliminary movements). The chapel was at first open to all denominations; but the arrangement proved unsatisfactory, and a majority at length assigned it to the Independents upon the payment by them of an adjudicated sum. This was in 1798. The ministers have been-

1795. Rev. GEORGE RICHARDSON, from Peniston. In 1799 he removed to Chowbank, Lancs.

1800. Rev. JOHN HAMPSHIRE. He remained seven years, and removed in 1807 to Padfield, Lancs.

1808. Rev. ROBINSON POOL (Idle Acy.). During his useful ministry a gallery was erected, and the debt on the chapel liquidated. Mr. Pool left for Kipping 1817.

1818. Rev. JAMES POTTER (Rotherham Acy.). A chapel-house was erected 1819; an enlargement of the burial-place was made in 1830, and in 1839 a good school-room was added. Mr. Potter was the acceptable and faithful pastor of his flock during thirty-four years. He resigned in 1852, and still survives.

1855. Rev. GEORGE EUSTACE, from Nuneaton. He removed 1857, and conformed to the Established Church, and is now incumbent at Hepstonstall.